I'm Done
by MissNMikaelson
Summary: Elena had had it with men. She's swearing them off for good, but she does still want a family.


**AN: I do not own TVD or TO.**

 **I think that this is the longest one-shot I have ever written.**

* * *

"Men are pigs," Elena exclaimed. She dropped into the chair beside Caroline and throw her hands up in the air. "I'm done with them."

"We must be good for something love," Nik chuckled. He wrapped his arm around Caroline's shoulders.

"I can think of at least one reason for you to keep a man around," Kol chimed in from the patio. "We can be very helpful," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. His comment earned him a slap in the arm from his girlfriend.

"Nobody helps me better than I help myself," Elena rolled her eyes.

"Hot," Kol winced when Lexa slapped him again.

"Behave," she admonished.

"Why?" He pouted. Kol dropped into a lawn chair. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her neck. "I have it on good authority that you like it when I misbehave. I'm of the opinion that I should take you somewhere and remind you of that."

Lexa smirked and lifted his hands so she could stand. Spinning she braced her hands on either side of his head and leaned down so her lips brushed against his ear and whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. "I am of the same opinion," she nipped his ear causing a shiver to travel the length of his spine; "nobody helps me better than I help myself."

She dropped into the seat beside Elena and joined in the group's laughter. Lexa turned to Elena and sighed. "Do you want to tell us what happened?"

"You know that guy I was seeing?"

"Kai," Caroline supplied.

"Yup," Elena nodded. "He is a total pervert."

"Oh," Nik blinked, "what did he want you to do?"

"Have a threesome," Elena huffed.

"That seems like a rather typical guy thing," Lexa laughed.

"You didn't let me finish," Elena sat forward and ran her hands through her hair. "He wanted to have a threesome with my twin sister."

"Oh," Caroline winced. "That's pretty bad. Although to be fair he is not the first of your boyfriends to suggest that."

"Exactly," Elena huffed. "That is why I'm done with men." Her eyes fell to Caroline's belly.

"So you've given up on wanting a family then?" Kol cleared his throat and leaned forward. "I don't think this moratorium will last because you want a baby. You might be able to get by without sex but you've always wanted kids."

"I don't need a man for that," Elena crossed her arms, "just a few of his best swimmers."

"Easy there Monica," Caroline reached for her lemonade. "What are you going to do?"

"Sperm bank," Elena shrugged. She reached into her purse and pulled out several files. "I've already gone and gotten some files to look over. I was hoping you would help me choose."

"I don't buy this," Lexa took one of the folders and opened it. "You won't go through with it. You're going to want to know you're baby's dad." She started to peruse the file.

"I am going through with it," Elena declared. "I've already made the appointment for the artificial insemination next month. The last step is choosing the donor."

"Isn't that awful expensive?" Lexa glanced up from the paper.

"I have the money," Elena laughed. "I never spent any of the money from the book series. It's been sitting in a high yield savings account for nearly 8 years. I am financially solvent and I can think of no better way to spend my money. Plus it's not actually that expensive. I think you're thinking of IVF."

"What are the odds we can talk you out of this?" Caroline took a sip of her lemonade.

"It's happening Care," Elena nodded decisively. "I've been thinking about this for months." The only reason she hadn't told her friends was because she knew they would try to talk her out of it. "I had my IUD removed this morning."

"For what it is worth I agree with Lexa," Nik stood up to check on the food in the house. "I don't think you're going to go through with it."

"If you do go through with it though I'd go with this guy," Lexa passed over a photo to Caroline. "He is gorgeous. I would totally have those babies."

"He's not all that," Kol grumbled. "His eyes are too close together."

"Oh babe," Lexa reached out and rubbed his arm, "are you jealous of a sperm donor?"

"No," he pouted.

"Maybe you should be Kol," Caroline teased. "He has a genius IQ… plus his red hair with Lexa's eyes would equal a very cute baby."

"I can see that," Elena smirked. "Do you want me to book you an appointment Lexa? You can go in with me and talk to the doctor."

"If you two," Kol glared at his sister-in-law and best friend, "could stop trying to knock-up my girlfriend that would be great."

"Maybe you should get on that, then," Caroline quipped.

"I think mother would kill him if he got her pregnant before marrying her," Nik gave Kol a pointed look. "Mother is very old fashioned that way." He had gone with Kol to pick out a ring over a month ago. He knew his brother was waiting for the perfect moment, but Nik figured he could use a little encouragement.

"Maybe we should stop thinking about me, and focus on Elena," Lexa cleared her throat. "She is the one who wants to have a baby right now."

"This is top of the line sperm," Elena waved the folders. "I've got a rocket scientist, a doctor, and a lawyer here. All of them very attractive and very smart."

"Which means nothing," Kol chuckled. "You don't know anything about their personalities. You should find someone you know and ask for their sperm."

"Kol I would have to be super close to someone to ask them that," Elena shook her head. "I'm only that close with the people in this yard."

"Aww," Caroline cooed. "Then our babies would be related."

"Cousins," Kol smirked.

"Or siblings," Nik returned to the lawn.

"Just to be clear I have not asked either of you to impregnate me," Elena held up her hands. "I feel like that really needs to be said."

"What did I miss?"

Everyone turned around to see Elijah standing in the doorway. He stared at Elena with wide eyes before looking to Kol.

"Elijah will do it," he nodded to his brother. "Come on, 'Lijah, step up and knock her up."

"Kol!" Elena turned to glare at him.

Kol snickered when Elena turned bright red. He was not sold on Elena's new plan, and he had a feeling the only one who could talk her out of it now was Elijah.

"What is going on?" Elijah stepped forward and placed his hand on the back of Elena's chair. "W-why…"

* * *

Several hours after dinner Elena sat at the kitchen island looking through the folders. A shot glass sat beside a bottle of tequila and a bowl of lime wedges. She was alone in the house; everyone else had headed outside.

"Elena," she jumped when her name rolled off his tongue. She spun on the chair and met his concerned eyes. "What are you doing?"

"Choosing a sperm donor," she shrugged. "Where did everyone go? Lexa and Caroline were helping me…" She looked around to find that they were the only ones left in the house. A loud bang made her heart leap into her throat. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"They're outside watching the fireworks," Elijah chuckled and rubbed her back soothingly. "Did you forget what day it was?"

"No," she whimpered against his chest. "I just forgot what time it was…"

"Sure," Elijah rolled his eyes. He ran his fingers through her silky hair and sighed.

"I did," Elena exclaimed. She pushed back from him and resumed her earlier position on the stool. "You'd lose track of time too if you'd had three shots."

"I would not," Elijah sat beside her and eyed the folders.

"Want to bet?" Elena poured a tequila shot and passed him the glass.

"Is that a challenge Elena?" Elijah eyed the amber liquid.

"Mmhmm," she grinned. "Take a few shots, and help me choose my sperm donor. It's more fun when you're drunk." She dipped her finger into the liquid and snagged his hand. She ran her finger over the back of his hand and shook the salt shaker.

Elijah eyed her before licking the salt off his hand. He slammed back the shot before biting into a lime with a grimace. He repeated the action two more times.

"Alright," he tossed the last rind in the garbage, "three shots. Now tell me what it is you're thinking."

"I'm torn," she pulled over two profiles, "between these two…" she trailed off when Elijah took the papers from her hand and pushed them to the edge of the counter.

"Not that," Elijah watched her pout. "Why are you doing this at all?"

"I want a baby," Elena put her elbow on the table and spun so her knees brushed against his. "I've always wanted kids… you know that."

"You're right I do know that," he gulped when she leaned forward, "you also wanted to find love. Shouldn't that come first?"

"I've never had the best luck with men Elijah," she sighed. "There's always something wrong with them. I was only ever able to see starting a family with one guy, but he was never really interested in me."

"Luke?" Elijah guessed. She'd been smitten with the man; she had even been on a few dates with him before he came out as gay. He felt a ball of fire settle in his chest when he thought about Elena still harbouring feelings for someone that was not him. He supposed it was partially his own fault; he was in love with her and had never made a move to tell her so.

Elena shook her head with a small smile. "Completely oblivious," she muttered and poured herself another shot. She'd had a thing for Elijah when they first met nearly ten years ago and it had only gotten stronger over the years.

"That doesn't change the fact that you want love, Elena," he took the shot glass she passed him. He was vaguely aware of someone laughing outside. "You deserve to fall in love with someone who loves you."

"Hey," Caroline called when they stepped inside. Her eyes fell on the bottle of tequila in front of them. "Elijah you were supposed to stop her from drinking," she sighed, "not be corrupted by her."

"Sorry Caroline," he grinned. "I never could say no to Elena."

"Does that mean you are giving her your sperm?" Kol came in with arm around Lexa's shoulders.

A flush rose in his neck when he felt everyone's eyes on him.

"I didn't ask that," Elena mumbled. "I just asked him to take some shots."

"Dared me is more like it," he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Truth be told he wasn't sure he would have said no if Elena had asked him the former question. He wasn't overly opposed to the idea of her carrying his child.

"Well neither one of you is in a position to drive home," Nik noted the bright gleam in their eyes. "None of us are in a position to drive you either."

"Caroline," Elena gasped in outrage. "Have you been drinking?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Caroline yawned. "I'm tired. I doubt I'll make it to the bedroom." She turned her head when she heard a distant door close.

"It looks like Kol and Lexa just claimed one of the guest rooms," Nik chuckled and wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "You two can decide who gets the other room and who gets the couch." He laughed when the two locked eyes. "Apparently it will be decided by a staring match," Nik double checked to make sure that the door was locked before bidding them a goodnight, "Unless of course you want to share."

Elena blushed and watched Caroline and Nik walk upstairs. She could hear Lexa giggling upstairs and knew that the only bedroom left was the one downstairs. There had been a time when Nik and Caroline had three guestrooms, but they had recently converted one of them into the nursery.

"You looked away," Elijah's eyes flickered to her parted lips. "That means I win."

"We are not deciding sleeping arrangements on the results of a staring contest," Elena stood up from her stool. She placed a hand on either side of his body. "That's far too childish," she giggled.

"Then how would you propose we decide?"

"You could be a gentleman and give me the bed," Elena suggested.

"No way," he shook his head emphatically and smirked. "Have you ever lain down on that couch? It's bloody uncomfortable. My manners only extend so far lovely Elena." The endearment slipped out and brought a flood of colour to her chest.

"Well a staring contest is far too childish," Elena reiterated. She started backing up. A smirk lit up her features. "Obviously we need to decide this with a race," she laughed and took off down the hall.

It was a few seconds before she heard him behind her. Unfortunately her head start was more than enough for her to reach the door first. She spun around with a triumphant grin with her hands in the door frame.

"I win."

"It would seem so," Elijah grinned. He stepped forward until only a few inches separated them and placed his hands above hers.

Elena's breath caught in her throat when she met his laughing eyes. She swallowed and tilted her head to the side. "Then why do you look so smug?"

Elijah started walking her backwards into the room. Elena matched him step for step until her hip rested against the white nightstand. He placed his hands on the sides of the night stand a mere half inch from her heated skin. He leaned forward until he was a hairsbreadth from her lips.

Elena fought the urge to close the distance between them. She had to remind herself repeatedly that Elijah didn't want her; she had been reminding herself of that for years. He was her friend, and she didn't want to ruin her friendship with him. She blinked when he stepped back and sat down on the bed.

"You made it to the room first, but I made it to the bed," he smirked up at her.

Elena considered his expression for a moment. If he wanted to play dirty and get technical then so could she. She pretended to pout in defeat and walked towards the door. Elena stopped at the foot of the bed; she twisted and jumped backwards so her head landed on the pillow.

She tilted her head and smiled innocently. "You made it to the bed, but I laid down first."

Elijah's eyes sparkled with amusement. They had always been semi flirtatious with one another; the consumption of alcohol only increased it. When she looked at him like this, innocent and flirtatious, sometimes Elijah would think that maybe he had a chance; he would think that maybe she liked him too.

Elijah reached out and tugged gently on the belt loops of her skinny jeans. "You're not ready for sleep, Elena. There is no possible way you are comfortable enough to sleep in that outfit."

Elena's eyes dropped to his finger still hooked in her belt loops. With her right hand she traced the line of his arm. Her finger slipped beneath the knot of his tie and started to loosen it.

"Are you planning to sleep in a suit?" She propped herself up on her elbows and craned her neck so her breath fanned across his chin.

Elijah's breath caught in his throat; he saw her eyes quickly flicker to his mouth.

"We both know you're going to cave first," she whispered hotly, "so why not save us some time and quit now?"

Elijah lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. "You underestimate me lovely Elena. I can be even more stubborn than Niklaus when I want something."

"So can I," she sat up. Elena smirked and reached around her back to unhook her bra; she pulled the straps down her arms and reached under the front of her shirt to remove the dainty lace and silk.

"What are you doing?" His mouth popped open when she dropped her bra on the floor. Elijah's eyes darted between her sparkling eyes and supple breasts encased in the tight white top.

"Getting comfortable enough to sleep," Elena was either unaware of the fact her shirt was hiding nothing, or she was too drunk to care. She smirked when she saw the direction of his gaze. She knew he found her physically attractive, but that he respected her too much to act on it.

"If you want to play that way," Elijah nodded before shedding his jacket. He tossed it over the chair in the room and pulled off his tie. Lying down beside her on the bed he popped a few buttons on his dress shirt.

"You're gonna be rumpled for work tomorrow," Elena giggled.

"I have the day off," he chuckled. Elijah did sit up and remove the dress shirt though. He repositioned himself on the bed and threw his arm under his head. "You wouldn't kick a shirtless man out of bed… would you Elena?"

"I've done it before," she smirked. "You wouldn't kick a girl out of bed in her underwear would you, Elijah?"

"You're not…" He cut off when she tore her jeans down her legs and threw them aside, "… in your underwear…"

"I am now," she stretched her legs out in front of her and looked back at him over her shoulder.

Elijah's eyes raked over her shapely legs before settling on her face. He considered the determined set of her shoulders before making a suggestion he was certain she would scoff at.

"We could share," he looked at the bed, "there is more than enough room."

Elena surprised him by flopping onto her stomach and grinning at him. "I knew you'd cave first."

"I'm still in the bed."

"Yeah, but you didn't have to get rid of me to stay," Elena bunched the pillow under her head and closed her bright eyes. "Are you going to sleep in your shoes?"

"No," he kicked off his shoes and rolled onto his side before closing his eyes. "Sweet dreams, Elena."

* * *

Thunder cracked outside jolting her awake. She blinked at the alarm clock and saw that it was a little after one in the morning. She arched her back. Something poked her behind.

Elena glanced over her shoulder and saw Elijah sleeping peacefully behind her. Ever so carefully she pushed back against him again and blushed when she figured out what she had felt.

She gasped when Elijah's arm settled over her waist. He pulled her flush against him and reflexively brushed his lips over the back of her neck. She shivered and felt him groan softly and tighten his hold when the movement passed through his body.

Elena closed her eyes and focused on the pattering rain. It took nearly twenty minutes but she was finally able to drift off again into pleasant dreams.

* * *

Elijah woke up around half past two in the morning. He struggled for a moment to figure out what had woken him from a rather enjoyable dream of Elena and himself sharing a shower.

It hit him like a ton of bricks. Elena's back was intimately pressed against him. He bit his lip to keep back a moan when she ground against him.

Carefully he lifted his arm from her waist and rolled onto his back to give her some room. Elena rolled with him and tossed her arm over her head. He watched her thighs rub together in sleep and closed his eyes to drown out the image; they snapped open when she quietly moaned his name.

"Elena," he turned his head to face her hoping she was awake and messing with him. If she was awake he could write it off as a joke, but if she was asleep it meant she dreamt of him too.

Elena didn't answer him. She sighed, rolled over and slung her bare leg over his.

Elijah stiffened when her knee trailed up his leg. Elena slung her arm over his chest and snuggled into him.

* * *

It was the thunder that woke her again at four o'clock. She jerked when a deep rumble echoed overhead.

"What?" Elijah mumbled and lifted his head

The lightening illuminated her wide eyes as they looked up at him.

"Someone's happy to see me," she blinked when her leg brushed against him. Elena propped herself up on her elbow and slowly trailed her hand down his chest.

Elijah gasped when she squeezed him. "You're still drunk," he met her lidded eyes.

"So are you," she started kissing his neck. "Do you want me to stop?" She popped the button on his pants. Pulling down the zipper she slipped her hand inside to take hold of his painfully hard erection.

"Am I dreaming?" He shuddered when she pumped him and licked the shell of his ear.

"Do you dream of me as often as I dream of you?" Elena nipped her way down his torso. She released her hold to tug his pants off his legs. Elena was pretty sure her dream had restarted at the beginning again. "As dreams go this one's not too bad…"

"You're not wrong," Elijah murmured when she wrapped her hand around him again. This certainly had all the hallmarks of his dreams. He lost any train of thought when her full lips closed over the head of his cock and sucked.

After a few minutes of bobbing up and down she lifted her head and started kissing her way back up his chest. She stopped and paid close attention to his jaw before brushing her lips against his.

Elijah's hands settled on her lower back. He deepened the kiss and took hold of her hem. The material was quickly removed and thrown in the direction of the half-open door.

He rolled her over and broke from her mouth to lick and nip down her chest. Sucking her left nipple into his mouth Elijah rolled the other between his fingers before switching. The way she moaned his name sent a throb of desire through him.

Elena lifted her hips so he could pull her panties off and pushed him onto his back before straddling his hips. Rolling her hips over him she met his lips and swallowed his moan. Her hand slid between them to position him at her entrance before she sank down at a torturously slow pace.

His hands caressed her back while she rode him slowly. "Elena," he nipped her ear. Taking hold of her hips he rolled them over without breaking pace. His fingers ran lightly over her wrist before intertwining their hands and picking up the pace of his hips.

* * *

Elena hummed contentedly and stretched. Her mind was trying to hold on to the vestiges of a very pleasant dream in which sharing a bed with Elijah had led to something more.

She peeked through her eyelashes to see the sun shining through the dew clinging to the widow. With a small smile on her face she rolled over and caused the sheet to slip down. Her eyebrows drew together while her hand groped the soft material. _When did I get under the blankets?_ She remembered going to sleep on her stomach above the bedding and waking a few times during the night, but she couldn't remember slipping between the sheets.

Her face went bright red when she realized the only thing covering her was the sheet. Clutching the material to her chest she bolted up in the bed and twisted to see Elijah sleeping beside her.

The rapid movement had drawn the sheet down to his hips. She stared at his exposed chest with wide eyes. The sight was not unknown to her. Elena's surprise came from seeing that, like her, he was naked beneath the cream coloured cotton.

Elijah shivered when his chest was exposed to the air-conditioned room. He yawned and peered through bleary eyes at Elena.

Elena cleared her throat and closed her eyes to ward off the pounding headache caused by an excessive amount of tequila combined with mass confusion. Peeking through her lashes she saw him squinting to try and block out the sun and protect his head.

"Elijah," she murmured, "did we…" even as she asked she knew it had happened. There was a delicious ache between her thighs and a feeling of weightlessness in her limbs that only came from a night of sex.

"Drink too much?" Elijah sat up and guessed. "Based on my headache I'm going to say yes."

"Not that."

Elijah saw Elena blush from the corner of his eye. Out of habit he traced the colour down her neck to her chest. He froze when he finally noted the sheet she clutched to her chest.

"Elena," he cleared his throat, "what happened last night? I don't remember much after racing you to the bed."

"I raced you," she exclaimed.

"I seem to recall it happening differently," he teased. "I'm afraid I don't remember what happened after you said you were going to get more comfortable."

"That's the last thing I recall clearly," Elena admitted and held the sheet tighter to her chest. She jumped when she heard footsteps on the chairs. Her eyes darted to the half open door.

Elijah followed her panic filled gaze. He could just make out the sound of Caroline muttering to herself in the kitchen.

Elena buried her face in her hands at the sound of her best friend's voice. She pressed her lips together to hold in a sob. She peeked through her fingers when the bed dipped to see Elijah standing up to push the door shut. Her eyes landed on a bite mark on his hip when he turned back around.

Her eyes widened when he caught her staring.

"Would you have preferred I stayed covered up and left the door open?" He whispered.

"No," she averted her eyes while he located his boxers. "Where are my clothes?" She bent over the side of the bed and picked up her bra. The question brought back a hazy memory of strong hands tearing material over her head and tossing it somewhere.

"Here." Elijah passed Elena her jeans and t-shirt.

She turned her back to him and quickly pulled on her clothes. She considered asking him if he could see her underwear anywhere, but thought the question might get caught in her throat. Elena stood up and fastened her jeans before turning to the door.

Peeking over her shoulder she could see him fastening the last few buttons on his shirt. Her fingers hovered over the doorknob.

"Elena?" He lifted his hand as if to take her shoulder and spin her around. Elijah hesitated and lowered his hand when she didn't turn. "Elena? Are we alright?"

She swallowed nervously before plastering a bright smile on her face and looking at him over her shoulder.

"We're fine," her gut twisted with the lie. She had never lied to him before. "We're just fine."

Elijah's brow creased as she tore open the door a little too forcefully and hurried out. He heard her bid a hasty good-bye and an excuse to Caroline before the front door slammed shut. He wouldn't hear her voice again for a month.

* * *

"Good morning Caroline," Elijah greeted. He carefully helped Nik maneuver the crib box through the house and up the stairs into the nursery. "Would it have killed you to leave the room as it was until you were ready to assemble the crib?"

"Caroline insisted on doing everything in stages: clean out the room, paint, and then assemble furniture," Nik shrugged and leaned the box against the wall. "I know better than to argue with her about scheduling."

"I'm surprised she hasn't scheduled the delivery," Elijah joked. He used a pair of scissors to remove the tape holding the box closed and started to pull out the different pieces.

"She has," Nik chuckled. He took the wood from his brother and started sorting it.

"She does realize that labour and delivery is unpredictable?" Elijah started fitting pieces together for Nik to assemble.

"I don't argue with my wife's timetable," Nik reiterated.

"Fair enough," Elijah nodded. "Have you… um… spoken to Elena lately?"

"Not for a few weeks," Nik shrugged, "but she talks to Caroline nearly every day. She's on the phone with Elena now actually. I thought you and Elena talked all the time. Don't you two meet for coffee twice a week?"

"We've both been busy," Elijah focused on the mess they were making of the crib. "She and I haven't had much time to meet since July. I actually haven't seen her since the party."

"You two might want to try the instructions," Caroline giggled from the door.

"We are men, sweetheart," Nik flashed his wife a wolfish grin, "we don't need instructions."

"The artist and the lawyer?" She laughed. "Have either of you ever actually assembled furniture?"

"Well…" Elijah trailed off.

"Should I call Finn?" Caroline snickered. "He has kids so I can assume he knows how to put a crib together."

"No," they both shook their heads. "We can do this."

* * *

Elena picked up her buzzing phone from the bathroom counter. She blanched when the picture flashed over the screen and declined the call. She initial feeling of mortification had faded as the memory of that night returned.

Now she was afraid to face him again. Did he remember that she was the one who had started it? Was he angry about that?

Elijah had waited a few days before calling her. She assumed it was to give her time to get over her embarrassment while he recovered from his. She figured he remembered now as well; he usually remembered drunken memories a few days later.

She glanced at her phone when it started vibrating again. She answered this time.

 _"Are you avoiding Elijah?"_

"Hey Care," she answered. "I'm actually on my way to the OBGYN."

 _"Don't avoid the question?"_

"Why would you think I'm avoiding him?" She couldn't bring herself to say his name. She just knew her voice would crack and then Caroline would know something was up. Elena had been very careful to avoid talking about Elijah for the past month with Caroline.

 _"He asked Nik if he'd heard from you recently. Said 'we've both been busy' and 'haven't had a chance to talk'. I know that's absolute crap because you and I have been talking all the time; we've been talking more than normal. That leads me to believe you are using me to replace your typical Elijah time."_

"I'm not avoiding anyone," she picked up her bag and tossed it over her arm. "Now I really have to go." She stepped out into the waiting room to find the nurse waving her into a room.

"Alright, love," the nurse, Janet, chirped, "into the gown and underwear off."

 _"What are you doing?"_

"I'm at the OBGYN," Elena placed Caroline on speakerphone and stripped down. She pulled on the gown and hopped up onto the bed.

 _"What for? Are you alright?"_

"I'm fine Care," Elena sighed. "Dr. Robbins is going to do a quick scan to make sure it's the right time and then do the insemination."

 _"I forgot that was today. You should have reminded me. I would have gone with you."_

"I need someone with me to get pregnant?" Elena shook with a silent laugh.

 _"That's usually how it works."_

"Do you want to stay on speaker?" Elena positioned the phone on a small table.

 _"Of course."_

Elena shook her head and turned to the door. Dr. Robbins came in and flipped on the monitor.

"Hi Elena. You know the drill," she picked up the gel, "lift your gown and I'll do a quick scan before we move on to the insemination."

"Okay," Elena nodded slowly. She hissed when the gel hit her stomach.

 _"Yeah that gel's cold."_

"Hello," Dr. Robbins turned to the phone. "I didn't realize we had someone else in the room."

 _"I'm moral support."_

"She's a control freak who needs to be involved in everything," Elena teased. She heard Caroline's tinkling laugh and smiled.

"It's nice you have a friend for this," Dr. Robbins smiled. She peered closely at the screen before pressing a few buttons. "It doesn't look like we'll be inseminating you today Elena."

"What do you mean?" Elena sat up and frowned. "I tracked it so closely. I should be ovulating today."

"Sweetie," Dr. Robbins turned the screen to her. "I can't inseminate you because you're already pregnant."

Elena stared at the amniotic sac in her uterus. As a doctor she recognized the sight of an occupied uterus. She was vaguely aware of the doctor telling her the baby had probably been conceived about four weeks ago. She didn't hear Caroline's shocked expletives nor did she hear her hang up the phone.

"Elena," Dr. Robbins called gently, "are you alright, love?" She carefully guided Elena to lie down when she didn't answer.

Fifteen minutes into Elena's shocked silence a nurse could be heard shouting in the corridor. Dr. Robbins turned her head to see a very pregnant blond pushing open the exam room door. The doctor made a silent exit.

"Elena Gilbert," Caroline took her shoulders and squeezed. "Who did it?" She gasped for breath.

"Caroline," Elena blinked slowly and met her best friend's eyes, "I'm pregnant."

"I heard," she grinned. "Who's the father? Don't tell me it's that guy Kai."

"It's not Kai," she whispered. Elena's eyes sought out her phone when it started vibrating on the small table.

Caroline turned to the mobile and picked it up. "It's Elijah," she passed Elena the phone. Caroline watched with wide eyes as Elena pressed the ignore button and dropped her phone between her thighs.

"You are definitely ignoring him," Caroline noted. "Why are you ignoring him?" She followed Elena's eyes to the screen and watched as the colour drained from her friends face. "Oh… fourth of July?"

"Yeah…"

"He has no idea?"

"I didn't even know, Care," Elena found her voice, "I was set to get inseminated today." She ran her fingers through her hair and groaned. "I have to tell him now… I have to face him…"

* * *

"I've changed my mind," Elena gripped the handles of her purse, "I can't do this. I'm going home… now!"

"Ahh," Caroline stepped behind her and held out her arms. "You're not going anywhere."

"Caroline," Elena crossed her arms and glared, "get out of my way."

"Hmm," she considered, "no." Caroline reached out and gripped Elena's arms. She started forcing her friend backwards through the door of the office.

Elena dug in her heels and protested, but it was no use. Caroline was stronger than she was, and even if she wasn't Elena was not about to try and physically overpower the pregnant woman. Caroline's center of gravity was impaired at the moment and Elena didn't want to risk her suffering a fall.

Her protests died when she felt the door push open behind her. Mentally cursing Elijah for having a door that opened into his office Elena flipped Caroline off.

Voices halted when the door banged open. Several heads lifted to stare at the two women who had interrupted the client meeting.

"Can we help you?" A rat-faced man sneered.

"I-I-I," Elena stammered. She cast her eyes downwards and willed the scarlet flush to leave her cheeks. Her stomach flipped when she heard Elijah's voice; it was the first she'd heard his voice in over a month.

"Gentlemen," he lowered his pen, "this is my sister-in-law Caroline, and my friend Elena. Do you need something?" His eyes were glued to the blushing brunette so he didn't see Caroline's grin.

"Is there any way you could re-schedule this?" Caroline waved her hand at several prominent members of the law firm. "Elena needs to talk to you about something."

"N-no," Elena lifted her head and started looking for another way out of the room, "this is clearly important. I'll come back later." She couldn't look at Elijah; the lie twisted her intestines into knots.

"No you won't," Caroline whispered. She reached out and took her friends arm to hold her in place. "You and I both know that if you leave now you're not coming back."

"I would," Elena protested weakly.

"It's alright Elena," Elijah stood up and unfastened the button holding his jacket closed, "we're done here." He waited patiently for the team of lawyers to clear out of his office.

"I'll be outside," Caroline smiled sweetly before exiting and pulling the door shut.

A small scraping sound could be heard when the door clicked shut. Elena closed her eyes and sighed before gripping the doorknob and pulling.

"Really Caroline?" She cried through the wood.

"You're a flight risk," Caroline returned.

"Elena," Elijah stepped up beside her, but left a couple of feet between them.

"I'm sorry," she muttered with her eyes trained on her handbag. "I didn't mean to interrupt your meeting."

"It's alright," he tilted his head to look at her, "they were rather dull and I am glad of the distraction." He took a half step closer and mentally cheered when she didn't back away. "It's good to see you."

"You too," she gulped.

"It would be if you were looking at me," he smirked.

"They are very nice shoes," Elena covered her mouth to stifle the hysterical laughter. It was easier to focus on the floor than on his face.

"Would you like to sit down?" He nodded to the sofa.

"I would," she nodded. Her feet were killing her and she really wanted to get off of them.

"You've been avoiding me," he sat beside in a chair across from her. "Don't get me wrong I am thrilled to see you. I was about a day away from breaking down your door."

"That would be rather stupid," she snickered, "you have an emergency key." She finally looked up into his warm eyes.

"I've missed you. It's been six weeks Elena." Concern flickered in his eyes when the blood drained from her face.

"I am acutely aware," she bit her lip, "you don't need to remind me of that."

Elijah leaned forward and grasped the arms of his chair when she suddenly put her head down. He was at her side a moment later when she tried to stifle a whimper.

"Elena," his hand rubbed circles between her shoulder blades, "what's wrong? Are you sick?"

"Yeah," she laughed, "I guess I am…"

"You guess?"

Elena breathed deeply through her nose before sitting back up and meeting his eyes. Blurting it out seemed the best course of action. "I-I'm pregnant."

Elijah felt his heart plummet. She had gone through with the insemination. Was that why she'd been avoiding his calls? Did she rightly assume he would have tried to talk her out of it again?

"Congratulations," he tried to sound sincere. "Can I do anything to help?"

Elena chewed her lip slowly. He wasn't quite grasping the concept. "I'm six weeks pregnant."

"Six…?"

She saw the light turn on in his eyes when he grasped the concept.

The room tilted in his vision. A sharp pain split his head. The last thing he saw before blackness overtook him was Elena's concerned eyes.

* * *

Elijah blinked slowly before sitting up. He lifted his hand to feel a bandage pressed firmly against his head.

"Take it easy."

Elijah's eyes swiveled to find Elena standing beside him in emerald scrubs. She reached out and lifted the bandage.

"Elena what happened?" His voice came out slightly slurred.

"You know my name," she teased, "that's a good sign." She lifted a pen light and clicked it on. "Follow my finger," she instructed. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Seriously?" He snickered.

"You hit your head," she frowned. "I have to do a neuro exam. Now answer my questions."

"Elijah Mikaelson."

"Good," she said, "what's the date?"

"August 15th," he thought for a moment before answering.

"Had to think about that one?" Elena frowned.

"Much like doctors," Elijah caught her hand and lowered the pen light, "lawyers tend to lose track of the days."

"Don't get snarky," she glared when he laughed. "Do you remember how you hit your head?"

Elijah tilted his head and tried to focus on the fuzzy memory. "You came to my office…"

"Yes," Elena prompted.

"…you told me you were pregnant?"

"Mmhmm," Elena put the pen light back in her pocket, "six weeks."

"I'm having trouble remembering what happened next," he focused on her name tag.

"You can't remember, or you're choosing to forget that you passed out when you worked out that the baby was yours."

"I-I," he stammered. A slight flush crept up his cheeks.

"Elijah if you want to pretend you didn't faint that's fine. I'll never mention it again I promise, but as your doctor I really do need to know if you're suffering any memory loss. You hit your head pretty hard on the coffee table."

"I remember," he said.

"Good," Elena blinked back tears and turned away.

"Elena, where are you going?" He reached out and caught her wrist. He grimaced when the movement sent a stab of pain through his head.

"You clearly don't want anything to do with this, so I'm gonna go," she nodded without looking at him and tried to pull her arm away, "maybe I'll yell at some interns."

He gently pulled her arm so she landed on the side of the hospital bed. "Where did you get the idea that I don't want anything to do with this?" He reached out and laid his hand over her stomach.

"You blacked out after gaping like a fish," she murmured.

"I've been trying to talk to you for weeks Elena."

"I know," she looked down at his hand. "I saw the incoming calls. I was too embarrassed to pick up, and then I didn't know how to…" she sighed and motioned to her stomach. "It's okay, Elijah, really. I was planning on doing this on my own if you recall."

"Elena you are not doing this alone. I want to be involved. I've been trying to call you for over a month to tell you that."

"It's been 6 hours," Elena looked up into his earnest eyes.

"I'm not talking about the baby Elena," his hand came up caress her cheek. "I wanted to be involved with you… I still do. I don't regret what happened… I wish it had happened differently after I'd taken you out, but I don't regret it. I've been in love with you for years Elena Gilbert."

"You…" she exhaled softly. Had she heard that right? He had been in love with her for years? She couldn't stop herself from committing the next act.

The loud sound of a slap echoed in the trauma room. "You ass," she shrieked.

"What the bloody hell was that for?" He rubbed his reddening jaw.

"Do you have any idea how many crappy relationships you could have saved me by speaking up sooner?" She grasped his tie and hissed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think you liked me that way," he admitted,

"Well you know what: you're right," her jaw clenched. "I don't like you. I love you."

"You love me?" He lifted his hand to his head. "I don't have a concussion do I? I would hate to wake up later and find out I dreamt this entire thing."

"When you dream of me confessing my love do I usually slap you?"

"No," he cupped her cheek, "that's a first." He gently brushed his lips over hers.

"May I take you to dinner when you discharge me?" He tucked her hair behind her ear.

"No," she smirked. "I'm having trouble keeping down solids at the moment. You can take me home for soup."

"That sounds like a plan," he kissed her cheek.

She lifted her hand to his brow when his face paled. "What is it? Does your head hurt?"

His comment brought a genuine smile to her lips. "My mother is going to kill me," he caressed her stomach.

"Esther loves kids," she laughed.

"She's not fond of them when they're born out of wedlock," he chuckled.

"You had better not be proposing to me," she glared. "We've been dating all of five minutes."

"I'm not proposing," he laughed, "it's far too soon for that." He cupped the back of her neck and brought her lips back to his for a passionate kiss.

"Precisely," she gasped when she pulled back to breath. "It's way too early for that."

"I agree," his hand ran up and down her back. "I'll wait at least an hour," he winked before swallowing her laugh with a kiss.

* * *

 **Leave a review y'all and let me know what you think.**


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